Invalid appliance for beds



Aug. 1%. 192 V I A. SCHWEIZER INVALID APPLIANCE FOR BEDS Filed June 30,

1922 3 sheets sheet 1 I INVENTOR. fillio 667210862l2 RYTORNEK A. SCHWEIZER INVALID APPLIANCE FOR BEDS Filed June 1922 :5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TT'OR/VEV.

INVALID APPLIANCE FOR BEDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 30 1922 IN VEN TOR. 14(20 Scizwe z 2?):

Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

nnrrsn stares PATENT iorrm ALTO scnwnrznn, or LEE-LING, onnninarnnn; GERMANY, Assmnonro one-aims 1 sonwniznn, or sr. LDUIS, -Issonnr.

rnvamnarrtrnnon son sens.

Application filedJ nne so, 1922! -seria1n 571,s7o.

T all whom 2'15 may concern: c I

Be it known that I, AL'ro SOHWEIZER, a; citizen of the German'Republic, residing at Erling, Oberbayern, Germany, have 1n-v vented certain new and useful Improve ments in Invalid Appliances for Beds, of

which the following isa specification. i 1

My inyention has relation, to improvements in invalid appliances for beds, and

consists in the novelfeaturesofconstrue? tion more fully set forth in the specification and. pointed out in the claim.

The objects of the invention are: to provide a frame about a bed which supports an auxiliary bed-bottom capable of being elevated for the purpose of making and airing the bed; toprovidea'back-rest on said bottomthat may be operated by the patient himself; to provide a seat that may be supported by said frame inlieu of the auxiliary bed-bottom; to provide a traveling table for the patient that may be brought into, position for reading or writing bylthe patient himself. Other objects will be better apparent from a detailed description ofthe invention in connection with ,the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation oig my invention with the auxiliary bedbottom in ele- 3 to make the bed below and air the same Fig. 2 is an end elevationof the appliance" with the traveling table omitted;.Fig. .3is a plan view of the auxiliary; bed bottom with parts broken away; Fig. a is; a side elevation of the auxiliary bed -bottom with parts broken. away; Fig. 5 isa crosssec-' tional detail of the'supporting "frame taken on the line 55.ofFi 1; Fig. 6 isla cross- ,sectional detail taken on the line 6,6,of 1 Fig. 1'; Fig. 7 is'a middle vertical longitudi nal section of the traveling table; Fig. 8 is a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 9 is acrosssectional detail of the auXiliary-bed-bottom taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. .3; Fig. lOis a rear elevation of the back-rest; Fig ll is a plan view of half the seat; Fig.12 is a middle .crossesectionthroug-h the seat with the back-rest attached; and Fig.-13 is a cross-section through the rail that :supports thetraveling table taken on the line 13-13 of-Fighl. 1 I

Referring to the drawings,;-B represents a bed in dotted outline to the posts P of which areseeured the upright cornercpipes vated position so as-to enable the attendant, I

lot the supporting frameF; Each post l carries a T 21a 'short\distance; from the bottom, said T being Connected on the outside of the post 1, toa second T 3 to which is connected an elbow 4;. TheTs areLconnecjted at the ends of the frame F by a pipe 5, and the elbows 4 are connected at the sides" by pipes 6, 6 terminating onthe inner [ends in threaded stems 7, 7 which are connected by a take-up sleeve 8 for making the 'frame igi I v a The posts 1 aresim'ilarly connected atfthe top by Ts 2, 3, elbow- 4', and pipes 5, 6, with a take-up 8.. An arch 9 having. vertical sides 9, 9". which "enter the pipes 1 at each end, is adjustably mounted inthe pipes 1. 1, said arch vhaving acontracted portion 10 at the center which widens slightly atlO' before inclining downwardly to the sides 9, 9. Betweenthe contracted' portions 10 and 10f of thearches are rivets 11, 11, and a rail;12'is slipped into the contracted portions 10 of the/arches, said rail resting on therivetsa-nd beingconfined by pins 13, 13 run through the rail just outside of portions 10. of the arches. The parts thus far described constitute the fixed frame for my improved invalid apparatus now to be described. Obviously. this frame may be modified. the construction herein shown being merely. oneformof many. I Four upright rods 14"(two on each side) areslidingly mounted on pipes 6 and 6, being provided for this purpose with cross fittings 15, 15 at the bottom which slide freely on rods. 6 and with rings 16, 16 screwed into the top of theQuprights which slide freely on rods ,6. the crosses being held Anauxiliary bed-bottom-Bfyin the shape of a stretcher is suspended between the rods- 14 directly over the bed B, said bed-bottom B ,resting on the bed-B normally and (serv ing as angunder-sheetv tor hed-ridden pa 'tients.

The manner of accomplishing this together with itspurpose will presentlyappear. The roclsl l each have-pa sleeve 19 slidingly, mounted on' them, which is provided with a boss 19,, in the outer face of provided with. tongues whichis screw-threaded a thumb-screw 20 for binding the sleeve to the rod when desired, the boss 19 extending inwardly and having a transverse opening 0 through which is passed a carrying rod or bar 21, the latter resting in the openings 0 of the bosses 19' on the same side of the apparatus. There are a pair of these bars 21 (one on each side, parallel with the/sides of the bed 13) and two-rollers 22 are mounted in spaced relation on each bar 21. A frame 23 is mountedon the bars 21bymeans of side brackets 24, '24. fixed to the sides of the frame. 9 r

The frame 23 has resting on it a second frame 25 having side bars26, 26 which are t, 2? extending throughout. their length, each tongue resting a groove 2' formed in each of the sidebars 23', 23" of the frame 23. -The frame :25. is providedwith a back-rest 27 having its-side bars 27 27 hinged to the side bars 26.,26of frame 25 by an eye-bolt 28, .the eye 28 being onthe outside of the bars fora purpose presently to appear. On the outside faces of the bars 26, 26 are a series of,.'screw-eyes 29, an d on the under faces of bars 27 27 are a series of screweyes 29, the former extending throughout thelength of thebars 2 6, and the latter extending from theeye-bolt 28 to a cushioned head-rest 30 at the free end of the, back rest-27, and a canvas sheet 31 is stretched over the frame 25 and held taut by rods 32, 32 passed through marginal loops 33,- 33' atthe sides "fofthe canvas, said rods also passingthrough the screwseyes 29, the canvas having notchesn cut in the margins to receive-said screw-eye's. The canvas sheet 31' extends up to the head-rest 27 of the back-rest 25 andjis held taut on the back rest by rods 34, 34 whicharepassed through the loops33 and screw-eyes 29. The ends ofthe side bars 23, 23 are turned up at 23", 23", and the 'foot end of the sheet 31 is also provided with a loop 33, the ends 23", 23 being" perforated to receivea rod 35 which also passes through the loop 33 to .hold the foot end of the sheet 31 from-sagging. The head endof the sheet 31" rests on the head-restr27. From the foregoing'it will be seen that when the sheet 31 is properly stretched on frame 25 it will beabsolutely taut and free from wrinkles, so that a patient may lie for a long time without getting bed sores invariably caused by wrinkled bed covering. It is also apparent that thesheetfmay, be easily removed when soiled merely by pulling out the rods 32, 34, and 35. When the sheet 31 is in place the rods 32 have their upwardly turned inner ends 32' slipped into the eyes 28'.

The two posts 14 near the head end of the apparatus each have a pulley 36 mounted at their upper ends, and the posts 14 near the foot end of the apparatus each have a pair of pulleys 37, 37 mounted near their upper ends, and-the two posts 1 at the foot end each have a pair of pulleys 38 mounted just below the pipes 6.

Now the rollers 22 have straps 39 looped under them, the ends of the straps at the head end being suitably connected to wires (or cords) 40, 40 which pass upwardly over pulleys 36, thence rearwardly over inner pulleys 37, over upper pulleys 38, andthence over'pulleys 41, 41 mounted on a plate 42 fixed to the middle of pipe 5, the wiresextending downwardly from pulleys 41, 41' to a grooved roller 43 to which they are s'ecure d. The ends of the straps 39 nearest the. foot end areconnected to wires 4'4 which pass upwardly over outer pulleys: 37 thence over. lower pulleys 38, and inwardly. over pulleys 45, 45 alsomounted on plate 42, and" thence downwardly to roller 43 to' which they are secured. The free end of the back rest .27 has a pair ofsloops 46 fixed to it in spaced relation, andstraps 47, 47 connected by a buckle 48 pass through'theseloops, the upper ends of the straps 47 being connected by an S-hook 49 to a wire 50 which passes over a pulley 51 in a housing 52 suspended fromrail 12, thence rearwardly through a second housing 53 also suspended from rail 12, over a pulley 54 and downwardly over pulley 55 mounted on plate 42 'to the middle groove of the roller 43,. fwherethe wirer50 is. secured. 1 The roll er is-is fixed to a shaft 56 mounted on a bracliet 57 on a plate 57 secured to the. footendof bed 13, and a worm-wheel 5.8 is' also fixed to the shaft56, said worm-wheelmeshing with a worm 59 mounted in bracket, 57 The outer end of the worm 59 has a crankhandle 60 secured to it,on"turning which in the proper direction the rollen 43 is rotated, thus winding or unwinding the wires 40, 44, and 50, and raising or loweringrthe entire bed-bottom B, provide'd, of'course, that the thumb-screws 20 are unscrewed; The back-rest 27 may be raised or lowered independent'of the frame 23, by taking' up or letting out of the straps 47, 47.

The bed-bottom -13 lS'IiOIIIlilllY resting on the bed B, but when 'the attendant wishes tov make the bed 'or cool the same, the bed-bottom B" is' elevated as just described, without any inconvenience 'to' the patient, by merely-turning the crank 60. In order to prevent the bed-bottom'from accidentally falling down the thumb-screws 20 are tightened, which binds the sleeves 19 to the=uprights14. 1 r I Should the-patient desire to read or Write, a traveling table T is provided, the same comprising a housing 61 in which aretwo rollers 62, spaced apart and adapted to" ride on the rail 12, and a roller 63 which bears on the under side of rail 12 to hold the table v to raise or lower the table;

- in block 64, said pin being urged into one I against rocking, a bloclr 64',being fixed iii the housingbetweenrollers 6'2, and a block 65 closing the housing 61 at thebottom. Fixed tothe sides of the housing '61by straps 66 are tubes67 to each ofwhich is telescopically connected a series oftele'scoping sections 67, 67", and 67 ,,and a crossbar 68 is connected to the two lower sections A standard 69 is secured to the 67I/l, 67/!!- middle of the cross-bar 68,and a table su porting arm 70 is connected by an elbow, 1}

projecting from the inner edge of said board, the other ends of the links being, pivotally connected to a block 77 slidably mounted on the standard 69, a set-screw 78 being provided to secure the block 77 in adjusted position. The table-board 7 3 may be raised or lowered by means of a strap 7 8 secured at its lower end to a U-bolt 79 in the cross-bar 68, said strap passing through a block 65 and a toothed plate 80 and dog 81 mounted thereon, then over a pulley 82 in the housing 61 and downwardly from said pulley through an opening adjacent the toothed end 80 of plate 80, a loop 78 being provided at the free end of the strap 78 for the patient to catch hold of when he Wishes The dog 81 is pivotedto the plate 80, and a spring 82 causes the nose 81' of said dog to bear on the strap 78 and force it into contact with the teeth 80 of the plate 80 thus binding the strap against movement in a direction to lower the table. However, the teeth 80 are so pitched that the loop end of the strap may be pulled down to raise the table if desired. In order to release the dog 81 from the strap preliminary to lowering the table, a cord 83 is connected to the nose 81 of the dog, a pull on said cord overcoming the ten sion of spring 82 and permitting the operator to let the table down by letting out on the strap 78.

A lever 84 is pivotally mounted between a pair-of ears 85, 85 over the top'of the hoiising 61, the inner end of said lever carrying a pin 86 operating through a hole a of a number of sockets to in the top face of the rail 12, by a spring 87 which is fixed to the top of the housing and bears against the outer arm of the lever 84, and a lug 88' is secured to the housing on the end opposite the lever. A cord 89 has one end secured to the lug 88, the cord then passing rearwardly to about the middle of the rail where it traverses a pulley 90 mounted in'a recess in hole in'the' r'ail to a loop Z0, then upwardly over a pulley 91 alsogino'unted in alongi tudinal recess.yin the rail through which thecord 89 extendstoa pulley 92 mounted iii'ftherear; end of recess 3 the cOrdthen passing beneath a, pulley, 93mounted "in the housing 61, and up through anopeningme in the top of the housing to the free end of lever 84, where the cord is fastened. It will thus be seen that if the loop in is grasped the'raiil,thenlpasses downwardlythrough a by a patient on the bed-bottom B, and both I sides of the cord 89 made taut, the lever 84 will be oscillated to pull the pin 86 out of socket to when the table may be pulled forward or backward as desired.

hen the patient isable to sit up in bed the back-rest 27 is disconnected vfrom the cord 50 and connected to one end of a strap 94, said strap passing over a pulley 95 mountthen passing over apulley 96 mounted in the housing 53, and downwardly through a toothed plate-97 where it is engaged by a spring-pressed dog 98 (said plate and dog being similar to plate 80 and dog 81 above described), the strap p94 then continuing downwardly to within easy reach of the bedbottom B whenthe same is in lowered position over the bed B. ,The dog 98 is released from the strap 94 by a cord 99.

When desired, the bed-bottom B may be removed from the carrying rods 21, 21,'and' ed in housing 52 below the pulley51, the strap brackets 101, and a separate back-rest 102" connected to it. This back-rest 102 is inanip- If necessary, the table-board 7 3 may be j braced against lateral movement by a pair of extensible braces 106 pivoted at the sides of the table-board (Figures,7 and 8) the outer ends 107 of the extensions being grooved to engage the uprights 14 against which they are held by tightening the thumb-screws 108. I i

Having described my invention, I claim: In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with abed-stead of a framework positioned around the bed-stead, said,

frame-work comprising 'a pair of corner upper ends ofthe posts of each pair of corposts at each end, an arch connecting the ma ner posts, a rail supported by said arches,

and a pair of upright-posts on each side of the bed-stead intermediate the corner posts, an auxiliary b'edrbottom slidingly mounted on said upright posts, means for raising and lowering said bed-bottom, an adjustable back-rest pivotally connected to the bed-bottom, a strap suspended'from the aforesaid rail and connected at one end to the backrest, the other end of said strap terminating Within easy reach of'the bed-bottom, means on the rail for gripping the strap to hold the back-rest in any desired position, and means for releasing'said grip.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

' s ALTO SCHWEIZER.

Witnesses: e

ALEXEI PHILIPPOFF, A. MUDEGER. 

